Mudslides mess with BNSF in Seattle area

BNSF rights-of-way in northwest Washington State have been affected by as many as 15 mudslides, triggered by heavy rain this week in the Pacific Northwest.

A BNSF spokesman on Tuesday said the largest slide occurred in Everett, Wash., burying 50 feet of right-of-way with mud, rocks, and trees to a depth of 15 feet.

Limited freight traffic has been maintained, but Amtrak and Seattle's Sound Transit Sounder trains have been discontinued as a safety precaution. Passenger rail services might be able to resume on Thanksgiving Day.